As a single woman in her 20s on every dating app imaginable, there are certain eye-roll-inducing trends and phrases that tend to pop up over and over again.
“My most controversial opinion is that… pineapple DOES belong on pizza.”
Or the classic “I’m competitive about… everything.”
“I’ll fall for you if you… trip me.” Booooo.
My personal favourite? “I’m 6’3, by the way, if that matters”. (No, Simon, it doesn’t matter.)
But a big one I’ve noticed emerge recently, one that doesn’t quite give me the same kind of ick, is “Drinks are on me if you can beat me at Mario Kart.”
While an incredibly cheap shot, it seems to get me every single time. I start talking to the guy, and we organise a date; we either have a bit of a back-and-forth on which of us would actually win (me), and we either keep the banter going or go back to his place to play Mario Kart.
I wanted to look inward and understand why this specific prompt consistently works for me.
1. Competitive Girlies Unite
For the competitive girlie pops out there, being challenged by anyone only fires up my latent but ruthless need to prove them wrong. That, and there is nothing more satisfying than winning.
2. Filters Be Gone
Dating is hard. People get nervous, and they refrain from saying or doing too much in an effort to make a good first impression. But I’ve found that with Mario Kart, all of that pressure immediately disappears the moment the game starts. You get to understand each other’s temperament in a stressful situation, there’s some playful banter when you hit them with a red shell, and you get to find out how the other person reacts when they lose.
3. Spicing It Up
A lot of the prompts on these dating apps are giving Hilary Duff on the US Today Show in 2011 (Editor’s Note: That is to say, nothing at all – David). A game of Mario Kart gives more than just a generic question and answer, it creates space to get a bit flirty and spice up a conversation (as much as talking about the logistics of playing Toad and Luigi can spice up a conversation).
4. Relive That Childhood Nostalgia
I used to play Mario Kart Wii a lot when I was a kid. It reminds me of a time when I would just roll out of bed without a worry in the world and play until I was number one on every course. With that, as an adult, there’s a sense of ease and comfort in getting to do something so familiar and pivotal to growing up. So when a potential date comes with the opportunity of playing a game of Mario Kart, there’s a big chance that that nostalgia is shared.
While I could be totally alone in my feelings on how well Mario Kart works to get me on a date, I think a silly little game is a great way to get to know someone you’ve only ever spoken to online for the first time.
Image: Nintendo
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